Stan Musial, baseball great, dies at 92

Updated 11:40 pm, Saturday, January 19, 2013

ST. LOUIS - Stan Musial, the St. Louis Cardinals star with the corkscrew stance and too many batting records to fit on his Hall of Fame plaque, died Saturday. He was 92.

Stan the Man was so revered in St. Louis that he has two statues outside Busch Stadium - one wouldn't do him justice. He was one of baseball's greatest hitters, shining in the mold of Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio even without the bright lights of the big city.

Mr. Musial won seven National League batting titles, was a three-time NL Most Valuable Player and helped the Cardinals capture four pennants and three World Series championships in the 1940s.

The Cardinals said Mr. Musial died Saturday evening at his suburban home surrounded by family.

"We have lost the most beloved member of the Cardinals family," team Chairman William DeWitt Jr. said. "Stan Musial was the greatest player in Cardinals history and one of the best players in the history of baseball."

Stan Musial led the Cardinals to four pennants and three World Series championships in his first four full seasons. He ranks fourth all-time in hits (3,630) and second in total bases (6,134).

Stan Musial led the Cardinals to four pennants and three World Series championships in his first four full seasons. He ranks fourth all-time in hits (3,630) and second in total bases (6,134).

Photo: Warren M. Winterbottom, Associated Press

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Stan Musial receives the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011.

Stan Musial receives the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011.

Photo: Alex Wong, Getty Images

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Stan Musial, baseball great, dies at 92

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Mr. Musial spent his entire 22-season career with the Cardinals and made the All-Star team 24 times - baseball held two All-Star Games each summer for a few seasons.

"I never heard anybody say a bad word about him, ever," Willie Mays said in a statement released by the Hall of Fame.

A pitcher in the low minors until he injured his arm, Mr. Musial turned to playing the outfield and first base. It was a stroke of luck for him, as he went on to hit .331 with 475 home runs before retiring in 1963.

At the suggestion of a pal, actor John Wayne, he carried around autographed cards of himself to give away. He enjoyed doing magic tricks for kids and was fond of pulling out a harmonica to entertain crowds with a favorite, "The Wabash Cannonball."

Humble, scandal-free and eager to play every day, Mr. Musial struck a chord with fans throughout the Midwest and beyond. For much of his career, St. Louis was the most western outpost in the majors, and the Cardinals' vast radio network spread word about him in all directions.

"A lot of times we would go visit kids in hospitals whenever we were on the road," longtime teammate Red Schoendienst once said. "He didn't want publicity for it, and he didn't do it to seek recognition or humanitarian awards. He just did it because he thought it was the right thing to do. He enjoyed making other people happy and maybe give them a small ray of sunshine to brighten up their lives."

Medal of Freedom

Mr. Musial's public appearances dwindled in recent years, though he took part in the pregame festivities at Busch during the 2011 postseason as the Cardinals won the World Series. And he was at the White House in February 2011 when President Obama presented him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, America's highest civilian honor for contributions to society.

Mr. Musial led the NL in most every hitting category at least once, except homers. He hit a career-high 39 home runs in 1948, falling one short of winning the Triple Crown.

He held 55 records when he retired in 1963, less than two months before his 43rd birthday. He got a hit with his final swing, sending an RBI single past Cincinnati's rookie second baseman Pete Rose, who would break Musial's NL record of 3,630 hits 18 years later.

Of those hits, Musial got exactly 1,815 at home and 1,815 on the road. He also finished with 1,951 RBIs and scored 1,949 runs.

All that balance despite a most unorthodox left-handed stance. Legs and knees close together, he would cock the bat near his ear and twist his body away from the pitcher. When the ball came, he uncoiled.

"I consciously memorized the speed at which every pitcher in the league threw his fastball, curve, and slider," he said. "Then, I'd pick up the speed of the ball in the first 30 feet of its flight and knew how it would move once it has crossed the plate."

Mr. Musial made his major-league debut late in 1941, the season that Williams batted .406 for the Boston Red Sox and DiMaggio hit in a record 56 straight games for the New York Yankees.

Mr. Musial never expressed regret or remorse that he didn't attract more attention than the cool DiMaggio or prickly Williams. Fact is, Musial was plenty familiar in every place he played.

The original Musial statue outside the new Busch Stadium is inscribed with the words former Commissioner Ford Frick's used to describe Mr. Musial upon his retirement: "Here stands baseball's perfect warrior. Here stands baseball's perfect knight."

After retiring as a player, Mr. Musial served for years in the Cardinals' front office, including as general manager in 1967, when the Cardinals won the World Series.

He was active in business, too. He served as a director of the St. Louis-based Southwest Bank. He was co-owner of a popular St. Louis steak house, Stan Musial and Biggie's.